Rather Live Another Rainy Day
Chapter Thirteen: I belong here
Three days later April was released from the hospital. Three days later, there was still no sign of Shanna. She hadn't phoned. She hadn't stopped by and as far as Kai knew, she hadn't even been back to the house to get anything.
Three days later April and Tala were in their apartment, hiding from the press who wanted to know everything. Three days later Rei and April were doing the same. Three days later so was Kai, but he was doing it alone.
Kai sat in his living room, the curtains all drawn, the lights all off, the only thing that emitted light in the room was the television, which he had down low so that they couldn't hear him. The knocks at the door had slowed about an hour ago, forty-five minutes ago they had stopped but Kai knew better than to trust that they had actually left. They were probably just waiting for him to make a noise or turn on a light so that they could start all over again.
It was bad enough that they had to prod about the whole 'Julian' thing. After all, it was going to courts in a few weeks. The public had a right to know about that, so that Julian wouldn't get away with something like that again. But to have the reporters find out that his fianceé was missing, to find out that she left because she had shot April, well that was the worst.
They had hounded April and Kai for details about Shanna until they realized they weren't going to get any. Then they hounded all five of them, resorting them to hiding in their own houses to stay away.
Kai heard the sound of rain all of a sudden and smirked. No self-respecting reporter would stay by his house in the rain. The only covering was the upper balcony and Kai had put an alarm on that. Since it had yet to go off, they had yet to try it.
Kai snuck to the window and opened the curtain a little, looking outside and seeing that the reporters were all heading to their cars, a little discouraged. Kai smirked, served them right for hounding someone for three days.
Kai wondered if Shanna was safe from the rain. Where she was, what she was doing right now. Kai had been back to the treehouse many times in the past three days, always hoping that she'll be there for him to talk to. She never was though and Kai was more than worried about her.
Kai kept going over in his head what could happen to her. She could be attacked by one of the various animals in those woods. She could be kidnapped by some raping idiot. She could be used and then just thrown away to die.
Kai sighed and closed his eyes, really hard, refusing to let himself cry. He wasn't emotional before he had met Shanna so why did he have to be so emotional now? Hm?
Kai opened his eyes and looked out of the window again, seeing someone heading for the house. Kai growled, didn't those reporters ever give up? It was pouring rain, they were going to get soaked. Kai was about to let the curtain go when the light from a passing car lit up the person's face.
Shanna.
Without even having to think about it Kai ran to the door, unlocked it and ran outside and to his sweet sweet Shanna. Kai took her in his arms, noticing hot wet she was, how much she was trembling. Kai lifted her up easily and carried her into the house, to the couch and he dropped her delicately on it.
"I'll go get a towel." Kai said and ran to the bathroom, retrieving one and then going back to Shanna. He pulled her into his lap, not carrying that his pants were getting soaked and began to dry her hair off. "Where have you been?"
"Around. I'm sure no one even noticed I was gone." Shanna whispered, as if her voice was unable to go any louder. Kai sighed and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead but said nothing to comfort her and continued to dry her hair. "I saw all of the reporters. Julian's in jail now?"
"For the time being." Kai answered getting up with Shanna in his arms again, he lifted her to their room and then laid her on the bed and went to the drawers to find her some dry clothes. "His trial comes up in six weeks."
"Oh. I see. Is April going to testify against him?" Shanna asked as she watched Kai go through her clothes.
Kai shrugged. "I don't see why she would need to. There's nothing that his side can say to change the verdict. Everyone in the country knows what happened to her."
"They could say that he never shot her."
Kai turned to Shanna, handing her a nightgown. "Yes well kidnapping is just as bad as shooting someone. Especially when it's a nice rich someone whose brother has influence in every business in this town."
Shanna sighed and took the nightgown. Kai turned away from her while she took off her clothes and put it on. She noticed that and sighed. "So you're mad at me?"
Kai nodded. "Why shouldn't I be? You shot my sister. Then, when I forgave you for it, you ran off and didn't contact me for three days. Do you know how worried I was about you?" Kai turned around and faced the goddess that was Shanna.
She looked so inhuman, so untouchable in that nightgown. The thing was too long for her and pooled behind her as she took a step towards Kai. Her hair was soaked and water dripped from it down her face, neck and then into the nightgown, as if teasing Kai. Which it probably was. Kai turned away again and walked out to the balcony.
Kai was sure that Shanna was watching him heartbroken. Even though she had said that she wanted him to be mad at her, he doubted that she would expect him to be. SHanna followed Kai outside and stood, watching the rain.
"That's good. You have all the right to be mad at me." Shanna said softly.
"All the right." Kai repeated, looking over at his goddess. He wondered if he would be turned to stone if he tried to touch her. Kai sighed and decided not to risk it. Then he turned back out to stare at his back yard. "April wanted to talk to you when she woke up but you weren't there. She was disappointed to say the least. She thought that even though you shot her, you would still be there. To tell her what had really happened. She was afraid that you did it on purpose."
"She was?"
Kai nodded. "Yes. She was sure that she saw the flicker of recongition before she saw you pull the trigger. She wanted to ask you about it. Tala told her that it wasn't true but she was so sure it was." Kai looked at Shanna again. "Was it?"
"Yes."
"WHAT?" Kai blew up and quickly turned away from Shanna before he did something that he would later regret. "You shot my sister on purpose?"
"I figured that if I shot April then Julian would have no power over any of us anymore. So I did it." Shanna felt tears coming to her eyes and she reached over blindly to grasp Kai's shoulder. "I knew she'd be alright. I knew it."
Kai pulled his shoulder away from Shanna's grasp. "So you shot her on purpose and then ran off because you were afraid that we would find out just what you did? How could you do something like that?"
"It was hard Kai. Trust me. I didn't want to shoot April. I never wanted to hurt anyone but I thought it was be the easiest way to safe her." Shanna sniffled and then turned away. "I'm so sorry."
"Well you should be." Kai said and walked back to the house. He paused at the sliding door of the balcony. "You can sleep in here tonight. I'll go and sleep on the couch."
Shanna felt her tears drop faster now. She had known he would hate her but she hadn't thought he would hate her that much.
Kai walked down the stairs and flung himself on the couch, a million thoughts rushing through his mind but the loudest one was 'How could she do that?'
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Rei sat down on the couch and watched as Lolli walked back and forth next to the phone. Rei sighed. "Why are you so nervous again?"
Lolli turned to Rei and groaned. "I don't know." Lolli sat on the couch between his legs, her back to his chest and intertwined their fingers together. "I just have no idea how I'm going to tell my parents. Or anyone else at that matter."
"You go, mom, I have something to tell you. Then she'll ask what and then you say, I'm pregnant." Rei suggested. "It may not be the most detailed and colorful way I've ever seen it done but it'll work."
Lolli sighed and turned around in Rei's arms and looked at rei. "So how are you going to tell your parents?"
"I'm not." Rei said simply. "It's not traditional for a son to tell his parents that he's gotten a girl pregnant until after the baby's born. And after he's decided to be a father to that baby. If not, then no one ever tells and the father is left unknown."
"That's stupid." Lolli said and rolled her eyes. "Completely and totally stupid. Do you know how many babies then, must not know who their fathers are."
Rei shrugged. "But it makes it easier for a man to request marriage with a woman who is pregnant. All he has to do is be the one to take the baby to his father." Rei smiled. "We never cared who the real father was, just who wanted to be the father and who was ready to be the father."
Lolli sighed. "I guess but I still say it's stupid." Lolli closed her eyes and snuggled into Rei. They were about to fall asleep when the phone rang. Lolli jumped a mile high and then rushed to the phone and snatched it up. "Hello?"
"Lolli? Is that you?" Lolli recongized the voice of her mother. "It's your mother dear."
"Hi mom." Lolli said. "Yah, it's me. I was just phoning you because I have something really important that I want to tell you."
"You've finally gotten that Rei boy to ask you to marry him and you're going to settle down and have a family." Lolli's mother guessed. "Why that's wonderful dear. When's the ceremony. I just have to be there."
"Uh mom. That's not exactly what I was going to tell you." Lolli said quickly. "You were right about the thing where you said we were ready to have a family but not the marrying thing."
Lolli's mother gasped. "You're pregnant. Oh my god. Lolli dear, you should have told me. If you want I can send the money for an abortion right away."
Lolli sighed. "Mother, I don't want an abortion. Rei knows about it and he's happy with it. We're just not ready to get married yet. A baby is a big responsibility and I think it's better that we only have one big responsibility at a time to get used to."
Lolli's mother sighed in relief. "Oh thank god. I was worried that he left you when you got pregnant. Put him on for me Lolli dear."
Lolli passed the phone to Rei, who took it and began to talk to Lolli's mother. Lolli rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. She was going to need it now.
Ten minutes later Lolli was sitting with a cup of coffee in front of her, sipping it and waiting for her boyfriend to get off of the phone. He hung up and then walk into the kitchen, grabbing his own cup of coffee off of the counter where Lolli had put it and sat down, sighing as he did so.
They drank in silence for the next few minutes and then Rei looked up. "She wants me to phone her the second you go into labor. She's already told her personal pilot that she would be flying out here the second you start." Rei smiled and then looked down. "I told her that I'd also phone her when we figured out the date."
"What date?" Lolli asked looking at her boyfriend's face which he had turned away from her and hid. "What date?"
Rei looked up and smiled. "I know this isn't the most romantic setting but." Rei pulled a ring out of his pocket. "Would you marry me?"
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Shanna crept down the stairs in the middle of the night. She had tossed and turned for hours on end and she was still awake. She couldn't sleep in that big of a bed. Not without someone sleeping next to her and the person she wanted to sleep next to her was downstairs, on the couch.
Shanna tiptoed into the living room and then leaned against the wall and she saw who she was looking for. Kai laid on the couch, one leg falling off of the couch, the other leg pressed against the barrier of the couch. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and it was obvious that he was asleep. His hair was thrown all around him and Shanna couldn't help but smile. Even in sleep he was a sex god to rival all.
Shanna sighed, and he was mad at her. She knew that she had told him that he had all the right to be, but secretly she had hoped that he wouldn't be. But then again, she couldn't blame him, she had shot his sister. If their places had been reversed, well Shanna wouldn't even be here. She certainly wouldn't have given up her bed for someone like that.
Shanna closed her eyes as she felt a tear flood start to flow and she tilted her head downwards. Maybe this proved how much Kai loved her. He loved her so much that he could forget about the fact that she had shot her sister and give her his bed. He loved her so much that he could sleep with her in the same house. Who knows, maybe he was sleeping better knowing that she was here. Shanna slid down to the floor as she thought about this and felt her tears break through the barrier she had created. Again.
Suddenly there were arms around her, holding her close, showing her that it was alright. Shanna sobbed even more at that sensation. How could he care so much for her when she had done something so wrong? It just made no sense to her, nor did she think that it ever would.
"Ssh Shanna." Kai's voice told her. "It's alright. I'm right here. I'm not going to leave you." Kai kissed the top of her forehead like he did so many other nights and he lifted her up into the safety of his arms and carried her back to the bed.
He put her down gently and then turned to leave, telling her to cry it out and that he would be there if she needed him. But Shanna didn't want him to leave and she reached out and pulled him. "Please stay with me." She said between the tears.
Kai nodded and slid into bed with her, covering them both up with the blanket. Shanna immediately cuddled close to him, the same way she had done so many times before and burried her head in his chest, crying. Kai stroked her hair but said nothing and Shanna realized that was because for once he didn't know what to do to comfort her.
Shanna dried her eyes and looked up at him. "Don't leave me please." She whispered, and shifted her position so that she head was resting on her pillow and then she let herself fall asleep. It was so easy with her in Kai's arm. Why was it so easy?
"Don't worry." Kai said finally. "I can't leave somewhere I feel I belong."
{A/N: Alright..no Tala & April this chapter but that's alright...What'cha think? Thanks for you people who were nice enough to review me last chapter to assure me that it all made sense ^_^}
Chapter Thirteen: I belong here
Three days later April was released from the hospital. Three days later, there was still no sign of Shanna. She hadn't phoned. She hadn't stopped by and as far as Kai knew, she hadn't even been back to the house to get anything.
Three days later April and Tala were in their apartment, hiding from the press who wanted to know everything. Three days later Rei and April were doing the same. Three days later so was Kai, but he was doing it alone.
Kai sat in his living room, the curtains all drawn, the lights all off, the only thing that emitted light in the room was the television, which he had down low so that they couldn't hear him. The knocks at the door had slowed about an hour ago, forty-five minutes ago they had stopped but Kai knew better than to trust that they had actually left. They were probably just waiting for him to make a noise or turn on a light so that they could start all over again.
It was bad enough that they had to prod about the whole 'Julian' thing. After all, it was going to courts in a few weeks. The public had a right to know about that, so that Julian wouldn't get away with something like that again. But to have the reporters find out that his fianceé was missing, to find out that she left because she had shot April, well that was the worst.
They had hounded April and Kai for details about Shanna until they realized they weren't going to get any. Then they hounded all five of them, resorting them to hiding in their own houses to stay away.
Kai heard the sound of rain all of a sudden and smirked. No self-respecting reporter would stay by his house in the rain. The only covering was the upper balcony and Kai had put an alarm on that. Since it had yet to go off, they had yet to try it.
Kai snuck to the window and opened the curtain a little, looking outside and seeing that the reporters were all heading to their cars, a little discouraged. Kai smirked, served them right for hounding someone for three days.
Kai wondered if Shanna was safe from the rain. Where she was, what she was doing right now. Kai had been back to the treehouse many times in the past three days, always hoping that she'll be there for him to talk to. She never was though and Kai was more than worried about her.
Kai kept going over in his head what could happen to her. She could be attacked by one of the various animals in those woods. She could be kidnapped by some raping idiot. She could be used and then just thrown away to die.
Kai sighed and closed his eyes, really hard, refusing to let himself cry. He wasn't emotional before he had met Shanna so why did he have to be so emotional now? Hm?
Kai opened his eyes and looked out of the window again, seeing someone heading for the house. Kai growled, didn't those reporters ever give up? It was pouring rain, they were going to get soaked. Kai was about to let the curtain go when the light from a passing car lit up the person's face.
Shanna.
Without even having to think about it Kai ran to the door, unlocked it and ran outside and to his sweet sweet Shanna. Kai took her in his arms, noticing hot wet she was, how much she was trembling. Kai lifted her up easily and carried her into the house, to the couch and he dropped her delicately on it.
"I'll go get a towel." Kai said and ran to the bathroom, retrieving one and then going back to Shanna. He pulled her into his lap, not carrying that his pants were getting soaked and began to dry her hair off. "Where have you been?"
"Around. I'm sure no one even noticed I was gone." Shanna whispered, as if her voice was unable to go any louder. Kai sighed and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead but said nothing to comfort her and continued to dry her hair. "I saw all of the reporters. Julian's in jail now?"
"For the time being." Kai answered getting up with Shanna in his arms again, he lifted her to their room and then laid her on the bed and went to the drawers to find her some dry clothes. "His trial comes up in six weeks."
"Oh. I see. Is April going to testify against him?" Shanna asked as she watched Kai go through her clothes.
Kai shrugged. "I don't see why she would need to. There's nothing that his side can say to change the verdict. Everyone in the country knows what happened to her."
"They could say that he never shot her."
Kai turned to Shanna, handing her a nightgown. "Yes well kidnapping is just as bad as shooting someone. Especially when it's a nice rich someone whose brother has influence in every business in this town."
Shanna sighed and took the nightgown. Kai turned away from her while she took off her clothes and put it on. She noticed that and sighed. "So you're mad at me?"
Kai nodded. "Why shouldn't I be? You shot my sister. Then, when I forgave you for it, you ran off and didn't contact me for three days. Do you know how worried I was about you?" Kai turned around and faced the goddess that was Shanna.
She looked so inhuman, so untouchable in that nightgown. The thing was too long for her and pooled behind her as she took a step towards Kai. Her hair was soaked and water dripped from it down her face, neck and then into the nightgown, as if teasing Kai. Which it probably was. Kai turned away again and walked out to the balcony.
Kai was sure that Shanna was watching him heartbroken. Even though she had said that she wanted him to be mad at her, he doubted that she would expect him to be. SHanna followed Kai outside and stood, watching the rain.
"That's good. You have all the right to be mad at me." Shanna said softly.
"All the right." Kai repeated, looking over at his goddess. He wondered if he would be turned to stone if he tried to touch her. Kai sighed and decided not to risk it. Then he turned back out to stare at his back yard. "April wanted to talk to you when she woke up but you weren't there. She was disappointed to say the least. She thought that even though you shot her, you would still be there. To tell her what had really happened. She was afraid that you did it on purpose."
"She was?"
Kai nodded. "Yes. She was sure that she saw the flicker of recongition before she saw you pull the trigger. She wanted to ask you about it. Tala told her that it wasn't true but she was so sure it was." Kai looked at Shanna again. "Was it?"
"Yes."
"WHAT?" Kai blew up and quickly turned away from Shanna before he did something that he would later regret. "You shot my sister on purpose?"
"I figured that if I shot April then Julian would have no power over any of us anymore. So I did it." Shanna felt tears coming to her eyes and she reached over blindly to grasp Kai's shoulder. "I knew she'd be alright. I knew it."
Kai pulled his shoulder away from Shanna's grasp. "So you shot her on purpose and then ran off because you were afraid that we would find out just what you did? How could you do something like that?"
"It was hard Kai. Trust me. I didn't want to shoot April. I never wanted to hurt anyone but I thought it was be the easiest way to safe her." Shanna sniffled and then turned away. "I'm so sorry."
"Well you should be." Kai said and walked back to the house. He paused at the sliding door of the balcony. "You can sleep in here tonight. I'll go and sleep on the couch."
Shanna felt her tears drop faster now. She had known he would hate her but she hadn't thought he would hate her that much.
Kai walked down the stairs and flung himself on the couch, a million thoughts rushing through his mind but the loudest one was 'How could she do that?'
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Rei sat down on the couch and watched as Lolli walked back and forth next to the phone. Rei sighed. "Why are you so nervous again?"
Lolli turned to Rei and groaned. "I don't know." Lolli sat on the couch between his legs, her back to his chest and intertwined their fingers together. "I just have no idea how I'm going to tell my parents. Or anyone else at that matter."
"You go, mom, I have something to tell you. Then she'll ask what and then you say, I'm pregnant." Rei suggested. "It may not be the most detailed and colorful way I've ever seen it done but it'll work."
Lolli sighed and turned around in Rei's arms and looked at rei. "So how are you going to tell your parents?"
"I'm not." Rei said simply. "It's not traditional for a son to tell his parents that he's gotten a girl pregnant until after the baby's born. And after he's decided to be a father to that baby. If not, then no one ever tells and the father is left unknown."
"That's stupid." Lolli said and rolled her eyes. "Completely and totally stupid. Do you know how many babies then, must not know who their fathers are."
Rei shrugged. "But it makes it easier for a man to request marriage with a woman who is pregnant. All he has to do is be the one to take the baby to his father." Rei smiled. "We never cared who the real father was, just who wanted to be the father and who was ready to be the father."
Lolli sighed. "I guess but I still say it's stupid." Lolli closed her eyes and snuggled into Rei. They were about to fall asleep when the phone rang. Lolli jumped a mile high and then rushed to the phone and snatched it up. "Hello?"
"Lolli? Is that you?" Lolli recongized the voice of her mother. "It's your mother dear."
"Hi mom." Lolli said. "Yah, it's me. I was just phoning you because I have something really important that I want to tell you."
"You've finally gotten that Rei boy to ask you to marry him and you're going to settle down and have a family." Lolli's mother guessed. "Why that's wonderful dear. When's the ceremony. I just have to be there."
"Uh mom. That's not exactly what I was going to tell you." Lolli said quickly. "You were right about the thing where you said we were ready to have a family but not the marrying thing."
Lolli's mother gasped. "You're pregnant. Oh my god. Lolli dear, you should have told me. If you want I can send the money for an abortion right away."
Lolli sighed. "Mother, I don't want an abortion. Rei knows about it and he's happy with it. We're just not ready to get married yet. A baby is a big responsibility and I think it's better that we only have one big responsibility at a time to get used to."
Lolli's mother sighed in relief. "Oh thank god. I was worried that he left you when you got pregnant. Put him on for me Lolli dear."
Lolli passed the phone to Rei, who took it and began to talk to Lolli's mother. Lolli rolled her eyes and went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. She was going to need it now.
Ten minutes later Lolli was sitting with a cup of coffee in front of her, sipping it and waiting for her boyfriend to get off of the phone. He hung up and then walk into the kitchen, grabbing his own cup of coffee off of the counter where Lolli had put it and sat down, sighing as he did so.
They drank in silence for the next few minutes and then Rei looked up. "She wants me to phone her the second you go into labor. She's already told her personal pilot that she would be flying out here the second you start." Rei smiled and then looked down. "I told her that I'd also phone her when we figured out the date."
"What date?" Lolli asked looking at her boyfriend's face which he had turned away from her and hid. "What date?"
Rei looked up and smiled. "I know this isn't the most romantic setting but." Rei pulled a ring out of his pocket. "Would you marry me?"
~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Shanna crept down the stairs in the middle of the night. She had tossed and turned for hours on end and she was still awake. She couldn't sleep in that big of a bed. Not without someone sleeping next to her and the person she wanted to sleep next to her was downstairs, on the couch.
Shanna tiptoed into the living room and then leaned against the wall and she saw who she was looking for. Kai laid on the couch, one leg falling off of the couch, the other leg pressed against the barrier of the couch. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and it was obvious that he was asleep. His hair was thrown all around him and Shanna couldn't help but smile. Even in sleep he was a sex god to rival all.
Shanna sighed, and he was mad at her. She knew that she had told him that he had all the right to be, but secretly she had hoped that he wouldn't be. But then again, she couldn't blame him, she had shot his sister. If their places had been reversed, well Shanna wouldn't even be here. She certainly wouldn't have given up her bed for someone like that.
Shanna closed her eyes as she felt a tear flood start to flow and she tilted her head downwards. Maybe this proved how much Kai loved her. He loved her so much that he could forget about the fact that she had shot her sister and give her his bed. He loved her so much that he could sleep with her in the same house. Who knows, maybe he was sleeping better knowing that she was here. Shanna slid down to the floor as she thought about this and felt her tears break through the barrier she had created. Again.
Suddenly there were arms around her, holding her close, showing her that it was alright. Shanna sobbed even more at that sensation. How could he care so much for her when she had done something so wrong? It just made no sense to her, nor did she think that it ever would.
"Ssh Shanna." Kai's voice told her. "It's alright. I'm right here. I'm not going to leave you." Kai kissed the top of her forehead like he did so many other nights and he lifted her up into the safety of his arms and carried her back to the bed.
He put her down gently and then turned to leave, telling her to cry it out and that he would be there if she needed him. But Shanna didn't want him to leave and she reached out and pulled him. "Please stay with me." She said between the tears.
Kai nodded and slid into bed with her, covering them both up with the blanket. Shanna immediately cuddled close to him, the same way she had done so many times before and burried her head in his chest, crying. Kai stroked her hair but said nothing and Shanna realized that was because for once he didn't know what to do to comfort her.
Shanna dried her eyes and looked up at him. "Don't leave me please." She whispered, and shifted her position so that she head was resting on her pillow and then she let herself fall asleep. It was so easy with her in Kai's arm. Why was it so easy?
"Don't worry." Kai said finally. "I can't leave somewhere I feel I belong."
{A/N: Alright..no Tala & April this chapter but that's alright...What'cha think? Thanks for you people who were nice enough to review me last chapter to assure me that it all made sense ^_^}